Before our invention internal combustion engines have often been four stroke piston driven types of engines with an intake, compression, power, and exhaust stroke. It is not uncommon that these types of engines might only be 25% efficient, in part, because of the three strokes (intake, compression, and exhaust) that do not produce power. Furthermore, it is not uncommon to find that inefficient four stroke engine designs might be less than 12% efficient.
A shortcoming of four stroke engines can be that they require gasoline or alcohol derivatives to minimize knocking and pre-ignition. They can also exhibit weighs of hundreds of pounds and have limited revolutions per minute (RPM) ranges. A poorly performing four stroke engine can be an inherent polluter of carbon dioxide and or carbon monoxide and they can be very sensitive, demanding highly refined fuels. They also can have hundreds of moving parts and need expensive tooling to manufacture and produce.
Even the rotary Winkle engine can exhibit these shortcomings. In this regard, the Winkle engine utilizes four strokes (four Phases) and can exhibit low efficiency. In addition, the rotary Winkle engine and other rotary engines can exhibit substantial vibrations caused by the pistons traveling in an elliptical oblong orbit. Other shortcomings of rotary style engines can be the need for a planetary gear set to track and align the pistons.
There is a need for an engine that can operate with a single power stroke, effectively operating with all motion moving in one forward direction, thereby increasing the efficiency of the engine by the elimination of inefficient strokes.
There is also a need for an engine that does not require higher octane fuels to prevent knocking or pre-ignition. In this regard, it is desirable to have an engine that can run on many types and kinds of fuels including gasoline, alcohol, hydrogen, ethanol and others.
There is also a need for a light weight engine whose weight to power ratio is extremely low. In this regard, it is desirable that a new light weight engine's power output be comparable to the amount of power output by a multi-cylinder engine weighing hundreds of pounds more.
There is also a need for an engine that is not limited to a maximum RPM range. Instead, with minimal moving parts, low vibration, and self aligning-pistons there is a need for an engine that can reduce the number of strokes and eliminate complex moving parts such as push-rods, camshafts, crankshafts, and others, thereby improving engine reliability and increasing the maximum engine RPM capability.
There is a long felt need for an engine that can meet these needs and overcome these shortcomings and limitations, as well as meet other needs and overcome other shortcomings and limitations, that gives rise to the present invention.